Manufacturing embossing matrix with stucco or like pattern



' June 21, 1966 M. LEWIS ETAL MANUFACTURING EMBOSSING MATRIX WITH STUCCOOR LIKE PATTERN Filed Nov. 30, 1962 INVENTOR$ 15 4/68) fills-n05 fiZa/Aw H Fm/MA ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,257,251 MANUFACTURINGEMBOSSING MATRIX WITH STUCCO 0R LIKE PATTERN Harry M. Lewis,Springfield, and William H. Rohloff, Little Falls, N.J., assignors toModern Engraving and Machine Company, Hillside, N.J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Filed Nov. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 241,325 2 Claims. (Cl. 156--8)This invention relates to manufacturing embossing matrices with a stuccoor like pattern. More particularly, the invention relates to engravingsuch a pattern in the surface of an embossing cylinder or roll.

In the past, embossing rolls have been manufactured by rotating a smallpattern roller, generally referred to in the art as a mill, against theacid resist coated surface of a potential larger and longer embossingcylinder, stepping axially one circumferential strip after another,

to remove the resist in certain areas, so as to expose the metal of thepotential embossing roll. After impressing the full pattern area of thecoated surface of the cylinder with the pattern applied by the mill, thecylinder was then etched by being rotatively dipped in an acid bath, toremove metal from the exposed areas. Such a process for making anembossing roll is fully described in the Sunderhauf et a1. Patent2,662,002. The acid resist applied to the potential embossing roll wascoated thereon all over the full pattern area.

In accordance with the Sunderhauf et al. process, it has been thepractice in the past to manually or otherwise engrave a die, which theart knows as a small cylinder of the same size as the mill but with itspattern in recess, with a stucco or like pattern, when it is desired tomake one or a mated set of embossing rolls with such a pattern. Thepattern on the die was then transferred to the mill, and in turntransferred circumferential strip by circumferential strip to the firstembossing roll. This process has invariably caused, in the productsproduced from such embossing rolls, an undesired directional secondarypattern in the desired basic non-directional stucco pattern. Theindustry using embossing rolls of this nature has required that thesecondary pattern be removed. At first blush, this removal problem wouldappear to be simply solved by tooling-out the secondary pattern, but assoon as a hand tool or the like is utilized on the die, mill, orembossing rolls themselves, a more uniform secondary patternautomatically results, contrary to the effects desired.

The problem has been overcome, however, by the instant invention, whichdispenses with the die and mill processes of the prior art, andtherefore the expensive hand-tooling utilized in making the die. Inaccordance with the present invention no secondary pattern whatsoever,is effected, but the stucco or like pattern instead is completelynon-directional.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a process formanufacturing an embossing matrix by engraving metal with a stucco orlike pattern that contains no secondary pattern but is completelynon-directional.

This object is accomplished, in one embodiment of the drical surface.

hardening equipment, and then utilized in the manner indicated in theabove mentioned Sunderhauf et a1. patent to make a matingly matchingsecond embossingroll. From these matched embossing rolls, a sampleproduct may then be effected to determine whether the rolls damage orshow any tendency to damage the sample. If so, then the metal thateffects such damage or tendency may be removed from the roll or rolls,as by a wire brushing or overall etching technique on the roll or rolls.

These features of the invention are objects thereof, and others willbecome apparent upon reading the appended claims and the followingdetailed description in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates the step of dabbing resist onto an embossing rollwith a sponge,

FIGURES 2 and 2A depict the step of scratching away spots of resist inrelatively large patches thereof that result from the sponge dabbing ofFIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 illustrates the step of etching the cylinder resulting fromFIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 refers to washing the resist off the cylinder,

FIGURE 5 depicts spraying the washed cylinder with resist,

FIGURE 6 illustrates another etching of the cylinder,

FIGURE 7 shows removing sharp edges, burrs, etc. from the etchedcylinder by use of a wire brush wheel, and

FIGURE 8 illustrates the step of flame hardening the resultant embossingroll.

To effect an embossing matrix or, more specifically, an'embossing rollas now described, with a stucco or like design or pattern, a journalledcylinder 10, whose cylindri'cal surface is smooth and preferably finishground, has an etching resist manually disposedonto its cylin- Theresist is an acid-resistant material, such as an asphalt basecomposition, for example.

Preferably, the resist is manually dabbed onto cylinder 10 with a sponge12. Any type sponge may be employed, for example, natural sponge orsynthetic resin sponges, including foamed polymers such as polyurethane,polyvinylacetal and sponge rubber (natural or synthetic) Dabbing of theresist with sponge 12 is effected over the full potential pattern areaof the cylindrical surface sufficiently to give a fine, medium, orcoarse patternas desired. In any case, the sponge dabbing disposes amultiplicity of resist patches on the pattern area of the cylinder atrandom locations and with random configurations or outlines, for exampleas may be noted in FIGURE 2A, wherein numeral 14 refers to some of thepatches. It will be noted that the patches not only vary randomly inoutline but alsoin area, some being rather small, others quite large,and still others of intermediate sizes.

It may be frequently desirable, once the dabbing of the resist onto. thecylinder is completed, to sub-divide or remove spots of resist fromcertain of the larger patches. This is shown being manually accomplishedin FIGURE 2 by utilizing a sharp pointed tool 16 on an area 14 in theoverall area '18 shown enlarged in FIGURE 2A. In the case illustrated,there are exposed metal areas 20 inbetween and surrounding each of thepatches 14, and tool 16 makes an additional exposed area 22 by removinga spot of resist in the midst of a large resist patch 14. Such exposureof additional metal areas may be effected all over the cylinder, to theextent desired.

After the required pattern of resist is effected onto the cylinder inFIGURE 2, that cylinder is then etched as by rotating the cylinder in anacid bath 24 shown in FIG- URE 3. r This removes metal from the exposedmetal areas 20, etching being allowed to proceed sufficiently to effecta shallow depth etch. Then, the steps of FIGURES 1 and 3, and that ofFIGURE 2 if desired, are repeated This is then followed by an etchingand washing process, several times, for example two or three more times,to as well as a repeat of such steps are desired, following givethepattern and depth thereof desired. which the second roll is hardened,preferably in the same After the desired pattern is etched into cylinder10, manner as indicated in FIGURE 8 of this specification. the resistthat then remains on the cylinder is removed A sample of the productwhich the mated embossing therefrom, as by washing it off with waterfrom nozzle rolls of the present invention will then produce iseffected, ?.6 in FIGURE 4. At this stage, there is basically proand thissample is inspected to determine whether either vided an embossing rollwith a stucco or like pattern. or both embossing rolls tend to damage oractually dam- It may be desired, however, to improve the roll in severalage the sample in any manner as .by cutting or otherwise respects. Firstof all, any sharp edges or the like that 10 fracturing the sample. I'fsuch is the case, then the roll the cleaned roll of FIGURE 4' containsare desirably reor rolls that have the defect producing metal area is ormoved. This may be done in any desired manner, for are subjected to anedge rounding process, such as an example as by etching the cylinderover all its surface overall etching of the roll or rolls in question,or a touchto round such sharp edges or the like. After this, the up bythe wire brush wheel 32 shown in FIGURE. 7. The roll is again washed ina manner similar to that indidefect metal of the rolls is therebyremoved, and the mated cated in FIGURE 4. embossing rolls may beutilized to produce any desired If it is now desired to give the etchedand cleaned amount of product with a stucco or like pattern. cylinder ofFIGURE 4 a matting effect, etching resist From the foregoing descriptionit will be appreciated may be sprayed, as from nozzle 28 in FIGURE 5,onto that the objects and advantages set forth for this inventhecylinder a it i rotated, S rayin ha the tendency tion have been fullyachieved. Modifications will become to fill the valleys or recesses inthe cylindrical surface pp to those of ordinary skill in the art afterreading to the degree desired, 50 that the surrounding hills may [thisdisclosure, and it iS '00 be understood that the invention b truncatedth -i tt d d b th ub t is not necessarily limited to details described,since the etching in the acid bath 30 0t FIGURE 6. Another cycle p t andp of the invention is defined y the pp or cycles of the FIGURES 5 and 6spraying and etching 25 912mmsteps may be effected as necessary, to givethe desired Whatis Claimed is! matting elfect. After the last etching,the cylinder is t Precess for manufacturing an embossing T011113 againcleaned, as in FIGURE 4 with a water wash for Stucco Platte/1'11comprising the Steps Ofl example 9 a) :sponging dabs of an etchingresist over the cylin- As a result of the etching f FIGURE 6, there maydo drical surface of a metal cylinder randomly to efbe found sharp edgesor burrs that need to be removed feet a multiplicity of randomlyConfigured and from the cylinder so that any product embossed therebydomly located exposed metal on Said Surface,

will not be damaged or tend to be damaged thereby as etching said areasto remove metal therefrom,

by fracturing. Such sharp edges, burins, or the like may TePeating Stepsand a desired num r f be removed by an overall etching of the cylinder,but are times to eflect the desired pattern and its depth, preferablyremoved by rotating a wire brush 32 (FIG. 7) (d) removing the remainingresist from the etched cylinwhich is disposed on a flexible shaft 34,against the cylinafter p and then drical surface of cylinder I10. Thecylinder may be rotated (e) removing from the cylinder sharp edges Whileduring this time if desired. 40 taining the said desired pattern byrelatively rotating After removing or rounding any Sharp edges, etc thecylinder and a flexibly shafted wire brush wheel cylinder is then readyto be hardened. This may be acagainst each Othervcomplishm-l in anydesired manner, f example as by '2. A process as in claim I1 includingbetween at least the conventional flame hardening technique indicated insome of the Steps (a) 0b), further Step of: FIGURE 8. The flame issuingfrom multi'aperture-d (a1) manually removing a Spot of said resist in attorch 34 causes a Surface hardening efiect, n depth least one areathereof which area is larger than other hardening of the cylinder at(Chis point being perhaps um surrounding areas thereof to efiect atleast one other desirable from the standpoint of possibly damaging theexposed metal areacylinder by warpage or distortion. I f hardening tofull depth is desired, such can be done prior to applying the ReferencesCited by the Examiner I6S8iS;7l;1li?1gI Iasin the Nelson applicationSerial No. UNITED STATES PATENTS i e une 27, 1957, now Patent No.3,048,512. i

With cylinder 10 hardened, an embossing roll with 216,469 3/1894 Bradley156-8 the stucco or like pattern is thereby provided. This roll 4779112/1903 southlwood 15.6 T14 may be employed with a smooth sunfaceback-up roll to 1,453,076 4/1923 Levine 1568 XR efiect a single sideembossing of sheets of material, but 1,974,011 9/ 1934 Burgess 1 -13 XRas is well known better embossing effects are produced 2,662,002 DZ/1953Sunderhau f et a1 by embossing the sheets from both sides. This requires2 955 10/1960 N 1 thalt1 a mat-ingly matched second embossing roll beused ewe at wit embossing roll 10. To make this second embossin 60 roll,the steps referred to in FIGURES 6-10 of the abov FOREIGN PAriEiqTSmentioned Sunderhauf et al. patent may be employed. '81'1634 4/:1959Great Bntam' Briefly, this includes uniformly coating a second smooth8141565 6/1959 Great Britaincylinder with an acid resist, and ge-aringlyrolling the first embossing roll in pressure contact with the resistcoated ALEXANDER WYMAN Primary Examiner second cylinder, to removecertain regions of the resist. JACOB STEI'NBERG, Assistant Examiner.

1. A PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING AN EMBOSSING ROLL HAVING A STUCCO PATTERNCOMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) SPONGING DABS OF AN ETCHING RESIST OVER THECYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF A METAL CYLINDER RANDOMLY TO EFFECT AMULTIPLICITY OF RANDOMLY CONFIGURED AND RANDOMLY LOCATED EXPOSED METALAREAS ON SAID SURFACE, (B) ETCHING SAID AREAS TO REMOVE METAL THEREFROM,(C) REPEATING STEPS (A) AND (B) A DESIRED NUMBER OF TIMES TO EFFECT THEDESIRED PATTERN AND IT DEPTH, (D) REMOVING THE REMAINING RESIST FROM THEETCHED CYLINDER AFTER STEP (C), AND THEN (E) REMOVING FROM THE CYLINDERSHARP EDGES WHILE RETAINING THE SAID DESIRED PATTERN BY RELATIVELYROTATING THE CYLINDER AND A FLEXIBLY SHAFTED WIRE BRUSH WHEEL AGAINSTEACH OTHER.